Control mechanism for power operated gear shifting apparatus



c. BOTTNER 2,271,169

CONTROL MECHANISM FOR POWER OPERATED GEAR SHIFTING APPARATUS Jan. 27,1942.

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Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED. STATES PATENT. OFFICE CONTROL MECHANISMFOR POWER OPER- ATED GEAR G APPARATUS Carl Biittner, Friedricluh afen,Bodeneee, Germany, assignor to Maybach-Motorenban G. m. b. 1-1.,Friedrlchshafen, Bodensee, Germany- Application October 30, 1937, SerialNo. 172,021"

In Germany October 31, 1936 vpositions. A control device utilizing sucha 10 Claims.

' or may be a special lever provided for the particular purpose. Thepower for actuating the control valve and which is initiated by thelever will preferably be a fluid pressure medium, either from the sameor a difierent source as the operating pressure for the shiftingmechanism, but also may be mechanical or electrical power.

According to the invention, the valve controlling the shifting pressureis closed upon completion of the shifting operation initiated by theoperating lever. The particular feature of the invention is that thesame actuating power which opens the control valve is also utilizedthereafter in connection with the closing of the valve, to

move the valve to closed position and to hold the valve in closedposition. The actuating power can be rendered automatically eifectivefor either or both of these purposes independently of the operatinglever', so that once the lever has been initially moved to causeopening] of the control valve, no further movement of the lever isrequired incident to the closing of the valve after the shiftingoperation has been completed. Through the use of the same actuatingpressure for both opening the control valve and closing the same, it ispossible to provide a control device which is particularly simple inconstruction and very reliable in operation.

As a further feature of the invention, the control valve may be soarranged that when the valve has been opened to supply pressure to theshifting mechanism and then closed, the power acting on the valve may bedissipated and the valve again opened to again supply pressure to theshifting mechanism even where there is no repeated movement of theoperating lever to supply actuatng pressure for the valve.

The ccntrol member controlling the shifting pressure can be either adisc valve or a slide valve, or, in the case where it is desired toprovide for a further shifting operation upon movement of the operatinglever in the reverse direction, the shift control member can take theform of a double acting valve which'cuts off the supply of pressuremedium in each of two end actuating power.

double acting valve forms the subject-matter of the copending jointapplication of Karl Maybach, Carl Bottner, Eugen Gltickerand GustavMeyer, Serial No. 172,020, filed October 30, 1937, now Patent No.2,236,646, of April 1, 1941.

While it is contemplated under the present invention to utilize the sameactuating power which causes the valve to open to close the same,

the valve may be subjectto control by the shifting pressure, inaccordance with the copending application of Gustav Meyer, Serial No.172,019, 1

filed October 30, 1937, so as to be held open by the shifting pressureand allowed to close only after sufficient pressure has been supplied tothe shifting mechanism to complete the shifting operation.

The invention may be used in connection with gear shifting mechanismsoperated by either superatmospheric pressure, or by partial vacuum fromthe intake manifold of a vehicle or some other source. Figures 1 and 2in the drawing are diagrammatic views, mostly in section, showing twodifferent embodiments of the invention designed to employ partial vacuumas the actuating power for the valve controlling the shifting pressure.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 line '6 is a supply line which willconnect with a suitable source of pressure, either superatmospheric ora. partial vacuum. Line II will connect with the pressure responsivegear shifting mechanism. Slide valve 8 provided with groove it controlsthe transmission of pressure from line 6 to line H. Valve 8 is shown inits left open position. When moved to the right in its casing the valvewill be closed. Ports 4| and 42 are provided at the opposite ends of.the valve casing to prevent pressure from building up ,at the ends ofthe valve which would interfere with movement of the valve.

In accordance with the invention as previously stated, it is proposedthat the valve 8 be moved to both open and closed positions by the samediilerential piston I9 connected to valve 8 by rod it The smallerportion 26 of the piston works in chamber 3| of the. housing of thecontrol device. The larger portion 25 of the piston works in the largerchamber 24. A vent port 43 connects with the left and of chamber 24.

Vacuum pressure for. actuating piston I9 is supplied through line I. Theleft branch 3 of line I communicates with the left end of cham- In thepresent instance thevalve actuating mechanism is in the form of a 1 upondepressing the I ber 3|. The right branch 4 of line connects through athrottling oriflce 3 with a chamber 23 in the housing. Such chamber inturn communicates through port 32 with the larger chamber 24 on theright of the piston.

The supply of actuating pressure for operating the control valve is madedependent upon an operating lever through a conventional arrangement.The operating lever is here indicated at 1, and the same may be either aspecial lever provided for the purpose or the clutch pedal or gasthrottle lever of the motor vehicle. In its rest position lever I isheld against a stop 3 by spring I3. Arm I of the lever 1 acts against"the head of slide rod 33 when the lever is depressed to open valve 2|in chamber against the action of springs 22 and 33. Partial vacuum froma suitable source of supply, such as the intake manifold of the vehiclemotor, is supplied to chamber 35 through line I'. To the left of valve2| is a smaller chamber 34 with 1 which connects line I leading to thepiston of the control device. When lever is. returned to its restposition, rod 33 moves to the left to allow valve 2| to engage its seat.At such time chamber 34 is cut ofl from chamber 35 and line'l', andthrough the reduced right portion 33 of rod 33 and port 33, chamber 34and line l are vented to the atmosphere.

Assuming that lever I has been depressed, partial vacuum is transmittedthrough line simultaneously to branches 3 and 4 thereof. The partialvacuum transmitted through line 3 has reached the chamber 3| and hascaused piston I3 to move to the left so that, as shown in the drawing,valve 3 is open and shifting pressure is being supplied from line 3 toline I for causing operation of the gear shifting mechanism (not shown).In the meantime partial vacuum from line 4 reaches chamber 23 throughthe restricted orifice 5 and finally reaches chamber 24 through port 32.Depending upon the size of the throttling orifice and the chamber 23, ittakes a certain amount of time, though comparatively short, until thepartial vacuum in chamber 24 has become sufliciently great to affect thepiston IS. The vacuum in chamber 24 will, however, increase to the pointwhere, due to the greater size of chamber 24, the vacuum acting on theright end of the piston will be greater than the effective vacuum actingon the left end of the piston. As soon as this occurs the piston will bedrawn from its left end position to its right end position to closeslide valve 8 and thus cut position is effected automatically,independently of and without further movement of lever 1.

Valve 3 and piston I3 will be held in their right end positions as longas lever is held depressed to maintain a vacuum pressure supply throughline I to chamber 24. If now the driver returns lever 'l to its restposition the partial vacuum in lines I, 3 and 4 and chambers 24 and 3|disappears. Valve 3 will not again open to supply pressure for a newshift operating until I lever I is again depressed.

In' the embodiment of Figure 2 the control device embodies a doubleacting control valve which, according to the present invention, is movedfrom open to closed position and held in closed position by the sameactuating pressure that initially, under movement of an operating lever,effected the opening of the valve. The general arrangement of thecontrol valve constitutes the subject-matter of the copending jointapplication of Karl Maybach, Carl Bottner, Eugen Glilcker and GustavMeyer, Serial No. 172,020, filed October 30, 1937. The feature ofutilizing the shifting pressure for maintaining the control valve in itsintermediate open position forms the subject-matter of the copendingapplication of Gustav Meyer, Serial No. 172,019, filed October 30, 1937.

Referring now to Figure 2, the doubleacting valve controlling the supplyof operating pressure to the gear shifting mechanism (not shown) isindicated at I33, the same being housed in a valve chamber I3. In itsright end position face |33 of the valve engages valve seat |39a toclose off a smaller chamber I4 from valve chamber I3. In the left endposition of the control valve, valve face 3 will engage valve seat H311to close off the smaller chamber I2 from chamber l3. Partial vacuum foroperating the shifting gear mechanism will enter the control devicethrough line 3 and passes therefrom through chamber 34 and passage I33to the right chamber I4. When valve I33 is in open position the pressuremedium from line 3 will be transmitted through chambers I4, I3 and I2 toconduit The pressure responsive gear shifting mechanism and the pressuredistributing valve mechanism for effecting selective operation thereofto produce different gear selections in a motor vehicle geartransmission are well known in the art and have not been shown. It willbe understood that conduit II supplies operating pressure thereto undercontrol of valve I33.

Valve |33 is supported by a slide rod 13 and is normally held in itsright end position by spring H5. The valve actuating mechanism includespiston I3 slidable in chamber 11 which acts against the right end of rod13, and a second piston 83 in chamber 3| which through slide pin I3serves to move piston 13, rod 13 and valve I33. Chamber 8| is of lessdepth than chamber so that piston 33 has a shorter stroke than piston13.

Actuating pressure, here partial vacuum, for initiating opening of valveI33 is supplied through line I under control of an operating leverthrough a conventional arrangement such, for example, as illustrated inconnection with Figure 1. The operating pressure in line is transmittedthrough its branch 66, and through lines 63, 33 and 32 to chamber 3|.Piston 83 is thereupon moved to its left end position to move valve I33to its intermediate open position in chamber I3. Shifting pressure fromline 3 is thereupon transmitted through line H to the gear shiftingmechanism. When valve I33 reaches its intermediate open position, grooveII in slide rod I3 is cut off from line 68, but such groove now providescommunication between line I32 extending from valve chamber I3 and line33. Shifting pressure supplied from line 3 and available in chamber I3is then supplied through lines I32, 83 and 32 to chamber 3| to act onpiston 83 and hold valve I33 in its intermediate open position againstthe force of spring H5.

In the lower portion of the housing is located a slide valve 84 havingtherein a groove 88 which establishes communication between lines 88 and82'. A piston I1 is provided at the left end of rod 84 in chamber 20,and the same is normally held in its left end position by spring 09. Thearrangement shown is intended to maintain the control valve in its openposition and control the closing thereof in dependency on the shiftingpressure as more fully explained in the aboveidentiiled application ofGustav Meyer. Accord ingly, line 2 communicating with chamber I2 isprovided to supply shifting pressure to chamber- 20 of piston I1, thesame connecting therewith through a throttling orifice 2|, chamber 28and port 29. When valve I08 has been moved to its open position bypiston"partial vacuum is transmitted through line l02, and after a short timethe vacuum reaches a point in chamber 20 to cause piston I1 to move tothe right. The delay in the operation of piston I! after valve I08 isopened is determined by the size of orifice 21, and with the view thatvalve I08 will not be allowed to close until after sufllcient shiftingpressure has been transmitted through line II to cause operation of theshifting mechanism.

When piston I1 is moved to the right by the shifting pressure in themanner just explained valve I 08 is ready to be moved on to its closedleft end position. Such movement is accomplished by the second piston IIwhich, according to the present invention, will be actuated by the samepressure as effected the initial opening of the valve through piston 80.It will be noted that in addition to branch 66 through which actuatingpressure was initially supplied to piston 80, line I has a second branch65 which, when piston I'l moves to the right, supplies operatingpressure through groove 86 to line 69 communicating with chamber 11.Partial vacuum thereupon acts on piston I8 to move the same to theextreme left. Such movement through rod 10 moves valve I08 against itsleft seat IIOa, thus cutting oil the supply of shifting pressure fromline 6 to line II and also line 2 since chamber I2 is no longer incommunication with chamber I3.

When rod I has moved valve I08 to its closed end position, the partialvacuum existing in chamber 20 will be rather quickly dissipated byleakage through port 31 around the piston II. Thereupon piston II .willbe moved back to its left end position through spring 49, thus closingvalve 86 and cutting off the supply of vacuum to piston I8 through line69. On the other hand, when valve I08 has reached its left end position,radial bore I3 and its surrounding annular groove I4 are in registrywith line 68, and through the axial bore 12 and the second radial bore15 actuating pressure from the first branch, 66, of line I is suppliedto chamber TI to hold piston I8 in its left position and maintain valveI 08 in its left closed end position against the action of spring II5.

Through the arrangement as described it will be seen that the actuatingpressure, partial vacuum, which is supplied through line I upon movementof the operating lever in one direction, initially acts through lines66, 68, 83 and 82 and piston 80 to move the shifting pressure controlvalve I08 from its right closed end position to intermediate openposition, and such same actuating pressure, following movement of pistonI1 to the right, then acts through lines 65 and 69 and the second piston18 to move the control valve from its intermediate open to its leftclosed end position. Finally, when valve lllhas reached the latterposition and piston I! has again moved to the left, actuating pressure,nowv through lines 66, and 89, and bores. 13, I2- and I8, continues toact on piston 18 to hold the control valve Ill in its left closed endposition. It will be observed that once the operating lever has beendepressed to initiate the supply of actuating pressure through line I,no further movement of the lever has been necessary; since thedistribution of the actuating pressure for causing the closing of thecontrol valve, and the maintenance of such valve in its left position,is entirely automatic by reason of the provision of the arrangement justdescribed. It will further be understood from the following explanationthat when the actuating pressure has disappeared valve I08 may be againopened by movement from its left end position'to its intermediateposition under the action of spring I I6 to permit a further shiftingoperation without repeating the movement of the operating lever in itsoriginal direction. x

If, with valve I08 in its left end position, the driver now returns theoperating lever to its rest position, line I is vented. The partialvacuum existing in chamber 11 is thus dissipated through bores 15, I2and 13, and lines 60, 66 and I. Piston I8 then moves partially to theright under the action of spring II9 until valve I08 reaches itsintermediate open position. At such time shifting pressure from chamberI3 is transmitted through lines I02, 83 and 82, so that piston is in itsleft end position and prevents valve I08 from moving on to its right endclosed position. A further shifting operation is possible while valveI08- is in its open position. After the valve is opened, partial vacuumfrom chambers I3 and I2 acts through line 2 and in a very short timecauses piston H to move to the right. At such time groove in slide rod84 is cut oil from line 83 and connects line 82 with port 96. Thepartial vacuum existing in chamber BI is thus dissipated releasingpiston 80 and allowing 'the control valve I08 to be moved against itsright end seat under the action of spring H6.

The shifting cycle has now been completed and valve I08 will not befurther actuated until the operating lever is again moved in its firstdirection, as originally, to supply partial vacuum through line I tocause opening of the valve through piston 80 and the subsequent closingof the valve through piston I8.

In addition to the parts heretofore described, it will be noted that inFigure l a series of ports 96, 9I and 98 are provided which respectivelycommunicate with the chambers at the right ends of slide rod 84, pistonI8 and piston 80 so that such parts may be operated satisfactorilywithout adverse pressure influences. The mechanism shown in the upperpart of the housing may be utilized where it is desired to control anautomatic clutch in a motor vehicle through the same operating lever ascontrols operation of the shifting pressure control valve I08 for thegear shifting mechanism. Such mechanism comprises a valve 9| seating inchamber 94 yieldingly held against its seat by spring 92. Extending fromchamber 93 is a vacuum pressure line I83 which will connect with theclutch actuating device. In chamber 89 is an actuating piston 81yieldingly held in its right end position by a spring 88. Port 99communicates with chamber 89 at the right end of the piston, and line 61opening oil of branch 66 of the actuating pressure line I communicateswith the left end of chamber 89. When the operating lever heretoiorereferred tois depressed to supply partial vacuum through line I, suchvacuum causes piston 81 to move to the left. Through slide rod 90 theclutch control valve 9| is raised of! its seat so that, partial vacuumsupplied through line 6 not only passes on through passage I06 to thegear shifting mechanism control valve I08, but also enters chamber 98and is transmitted therefrom'through line I83 to the clutch actuatingdevice. Again, when the operating lever is released to vent line i,chamber 89 is similarly vented. Piston 81 thereupon moves to its rightend position under the action 01 its spring 88 and allows valve 9| to beclosed through its spring 92.

It will be evident from a comparison of the embodiments of Figures 1 and2 that the use of the actuating pressure initially operating to open thecontrol valve for the gear shifting mechanism to additionally effect theclosing of the valveand/or holding such valve in its closed position maybe carried out in a variety of ways. I have illustrated two differenttypes of control valve, the single acting type and the double actingtype, and I have further illustrated two entirely different forms ofvalve actuating mechanism, each of which carries out the principles ofthe invention. Again, it will be understood that the invention may beutilized to advantage in control devices utilizing operating featurescooperative with but not forming an essential part of the invention. Itwill therefore be understood that the protection of the invention is notto be taken as limited further than may be required by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles apressure line for supplying shifting pressure to the shifting mechatoopen position and then to move the valve from open position to closedposition.

3. Ina pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles ashifting pressure supply line for the shifting mechanism, a controlvalve in said "shifting pressure supply line, a vacuum pressure supplyline to supply pressure for operating said valve, lever operating meansindependent of the shifting pressure supply line for initiating flow ofthe vacuum pressure supply, and actuating means operated by the vacuumpressure supply to open the control valve and also operated by thevacuum pressure supply to close the valve independently of the leveroperating means after said valve has been opened to transmitshiftingpressure.

4. In a pressure operated gear shitting mechanism for motor vehicles apressure line for supnism, a control valve in the shifting pressure linecontrolling the supply of shifting pressure for the shifting mechanism,vacuum pressureoperated actuating means for the valve, an operatinglever controlling the vacuum pressure supply for the actuating meansindependent of the shifting pressure line movable in one direction toinitiate the supply of vacuum pressure to the actuating means andmovable in the return direction to cut off the vacuum pressure from theactuating means, and means for causing the supply of vacuum pressureinitiated by the lever first to operate the actuating means to open thevalve and then to operate the actuating means to close the valve.

2. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles apressure line for supplying shifting pressure to the shifting mechanism,a control valve in the shifting pressure line controlling the supply ofshifting pressure for the shifting mechanism, vacuum pressureoperatedactuating means for the valve, an operating lever controlling the vacuumpressure supply for the actuating means independent of the shiftingpressure line movable in one direction to initiate the supply of vacuumpressure to the actuating mean and movable in the return direction tocut'off the vacuum pressure from the actuating means, and meansindependent of said operating lever operative between the initial andreturn movements of the lever to cause the same vacuum pressure tooperate the actuating means first to move the valve plying shiftingpressure to the shifting mechanism, a valve in the shifting pressureline controlling the supply of shifting pressure for the shiftingmechanism, piston means movable in opposite directions to open and closethe valve, a source of vacuum actuating pressure, lever meansindependent of the shifting pressure line for initiating the flow ofsaid vacuum actuating pressure, means independent of said lever meansfor causing said vacuum actuating pressure to act on said piston meansfirst to move the valve in one direction to open position and then tomove the valve in the other direction to closed position, and means fordelaying the flow of said vacuum pressure acting on the piston means toclose the valve.

5. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles apressure line for supplying shifting pressure to the shifting mechanisma control valve controlling the line of shifting pressure for theshifting mechanism, a vacuum pressure operated actuating member formoving the valve to open position, a second vacuum pressure operatedactuating member for moving the valve to closed position, a source ofvacuumactuating pressure, lever means for initiating the flow ofactuating pressure, and means independent of said lever means forcausing the same vacuum actuating pressure to act successively on thefirst and second actuating members so as to open and then close thevalve.

6. In a pressure-operated gear shifting mechanism, a pressure line forsupplying shifting pressure to the shifting mechanism, a shiftingpressure control valve in said line, vacuum-operated actuating means forthe shifting pressure control valve, a source of vacuum for the valveactuating means, lever operated control means independent of theshifting pressure line controlling the supply of vacuum from said vacuumsource to the valve actuating means and being actuatable to cause theactuating means to open the valve, and means operative without furtheractuation of the lever control means after opening of the shiftingpressure control valve to cause the vacuum to act on the valve actuatingmeans to close the valve.

7. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles, apressure supply line for supplying shifting pressure to the shiftingmechanism, an auxiliary vacuum pressure supply line, first and secondvalve means separately controlling the shifting pressure supply line andthe auxiliary vacuum pressure supply line respectively, a lever foroperating the second valve means, actuating means responsive to vacuumpressure supplied by said second valve means for controlling said firstvalve means, and means independent of the lever for causing the vacuumpressure controlled by said second valve means to move the actuatingmeans first to open and then to close the first valve means.

8. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles, apressure supply line for supplying shifting pressure to the shiftingmechanism, an auxiliary vacuum pressure supply line, first and secondvalve means separately controlling the shifting pressure supply line andthe auxiliary vacuum pressure supply line respectively, a lever foroperating said second valve means and vacuum pressure responsiveactuating means operated by the pressure initiated by the lever meansfirst to open and thereafter automatically operated by said pressure toclose said first valve means.

9. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles, ashifting pressure line, a control valve in said line controlling thesupply of shifting pressure for the shiftin mechanism, means for openingthe valve, a VIC- uum pressure actuated motor for closing the valveafter opening thereof, a vacuum pressure line communicating with saidmotor and vacuum pressure means for initiating operation of the valvemotor including a vacuum pressure receiving chamber in said vacuumpressure line operative to delay the transmission of vacuum actuatingpressure to the valve motor a predetermined time after opening of thevalve.

10. In a pressure operated gear shifting mechanism for motor vehicles, acontrol valve controlling the supply of shifting pressure for theshifting mechanism, means for opening the valve, a vacuum pressureactuated motor for closing the valve after opening thereof, a vacuumpressure line supplying vacuum pressure to the valve motor, and a vacuumpressure receiving chamber in said pressure line for delaying thedelivery of vacuum actuating pressure to the valve motor a predeterminedtime after opening of the valve.

CARL nb'r'nma.

